Electric Vehicle Deals Amp Up Car Show Excitement

Ah, fresh spring air and that new car smell. Both are just around the corner. For many, spring represents new beginnings. Well, for motor heads it’s car show season. And that means the coolest wheels are on display and within reach.

And what’s even better? No tailpipe exhaust, a quiet ride and no stopping for gas. EVs (electric vehicles) – plug ‘em in and save greenbacks while being green. They use domestically produced fuel – electricity. A product Xcel Energy provides to 3.5 million customers in eight states. And with Xcel Energy’s fuel mix, they’re even cleaner than EVs driven elsewhere.

For the first year ever – plug-in SUVs are available, along with sedans, hatch backs, luxury and sports cars. More than 25 models from major automakers are available — priced from about $29,000 to more than $100,000. Some are all-electric with travel range from 82-265+ miles. Others are plug-in hybrids, to enable electric travel for most daily trips, but also extended ranges of 400+ miles with a small gasoline engine.

Through Xcel Energy’s electric service, customers have choices for when, where, and how much they pay to charge their vehicle. EV drivers can fuel up at home just by plugging in to a conventional outlet and may subscribe to a few rate options, including a Time of Day rate option (Xcel Energy MN, WI, ND, SD, MI) that encourage off-peak charging with lower electric costs in the evening. Xcel Energy Colorado recently proposed a voluntary rate with off-peak energy pricing that may be beneficial for some EV drivers. Additionally, for those that want to charge where they are out and about, there are more than 500 public charging locations in Xcel Energy service territories. There are more and more fast chargers, which can fill a battery in about 30 minutes.

Thousands of Xcel Energy customers have “gone electric.” For Minnesotans interested in joining the electric driving ranks, Drive Electric Minnesota scored a “negotiated discount” of nearly 40 percent off on the Nissan Leaf with a range of 107 miles and cool features. Want more? How about “no charge to charge” at public fast charging stations? Check it out at Drive Electric Minnesota.

Keep an eye out for information about Colorado offers and other vehicle offers for Xcel Energy employees through the Energetics and Arts & Entertainment announcements. Be sure to check out the auto shows in Minneapolis on March 12-20 and Denver March 16-20. See the wide variety of EVs available.

Driving transportation efforts forward to make electric and natural gas vehicles a viable option for customers. Passionate about emerging technologies and improving how the world creates and uses energy, including renewables.